Developing organic coconut growing areas in Tay Ninh: Prospects from the Organic Coconut Cooperative Model

Prospects from the Organic Coconut Cooperative Model

Overcoming the disadvantages of soil, organic coconut gardens in Tay Ninh are growing greener every day, demonstrating innovation in local agricultural production.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tien's coconut garden

Ben Tre coconuts in the "sunny land"

When mentioning coconuts, people often think of Ben Tre (now Vinh Long) - the "capital" of coconuts in the country. Therefore, few people believe that this tree species, which is familiar to the Mekong Delta, can grow well and bring high economic efficiency on the land known as the "sunny land".

Mr. Nguyen Van Tien (Phuoc Vinh commune) is one of the pioneering and successful farmers with the organic coconut growing model. Standing next to the rows of cool green coconuts in the harsh, windy land, he said: born and raised in the coconut land of Ben Tre, in 2008, when he got married in Tay Ninh, he brought about ten Siamese coconut trees from his hometown to try planting. At that time, rubber was still priced well, so he only intercropped. By 2017, when rubber prices were low, he decided to cut down the all rubber trees to plant coconut.

“Initially, I planted dwarf coconut trees but many of them were of poor quality. Learning from experience, I gradually removed them and replaced them with new varieties such as Ben Tre red coconut, Malaysian red coconut and green coconut. These are all varieties with a short growing period, bearing fruit after only 2-3 years, high yield, sweet water, and are favored by the market, so the selling price is stable at a high level. In particular, coconut trees are harvested all year round, planted once but exploited for up to 30 years. The tree trunk is about 3-4m, making harvesting easier and more convenient for growers,” Tien shared.

Tien added that Tay Ninh has a system of irrigation canals and ditches covering the entire area, ensuring a stable source of irrigation water. In addition, the locality also has abundant agricultural waste and by-products from sugarcane, cassava, pineapple, etc. Taking advantage of this, he combines coconut husks with microorganisms to produce organic fertilizers, both improving the soil and reducing input costs, replacing chemical fertilizers.

Regarding pest and disease prevention, he applies the method of raising parasitic bees under the coconut canopy for natural control; absolutely does not use herbicides, growth stimulants or other toxic chemicals during cultivation.

However, Tay Ninh has limitations in salinity compared to Ben Tre. To help coconut water reach the same sweetness, during cultivation, he adds salt to balance minerals. Thanks to that, his coconuts not only have high yields but also have stable quality, which is favored by the market.

Mr. Tien uses biological waste to compost fertilizer for the coconut garden

Mr. Tien took us to see the coconut stall full of fruit. He shared that there are currently many strains of fungi and probiotics on the market, creating favorable conditions for farmers to produce organic fertilizers at home.

“Chemical fertilizers help plants grow quickly but have a short-term effect, causing the plants to quickly weaken, the leaves to turn yellow, and the fruit to often be sparse. Using urea or NPK, the trees can grow quickly, but when encountering frost, they easily lose fruit in large numbers. On the contrary, applying organic fertilizers helps the trees to grow well and last longer, with higher and more stable yields later on. If you observe carefully, you will see that the shell of organic coconuts is porous and easier to separate than coconuts fertilized with chemical fertilizers,” said Mr. Tien.

Developing an organic coconut cooperative model in a border commune

Not only stopping at effective farming, in order to overcome the situation of small, scattered, fragmented production and gradually increase the value of agricultural products, in April 2019, Mr. Tien gathered members to establish the Vietnam Coconut 78 Agricultural Service Cooperative. According to him, the cooperative was established not to meet the new rural criteria like many other places but to aim for a sustainable production and business model.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tien and his wife with the promising Organic Coconut Cooperative model

Currently, in addition to the family's 15 hectares of coconut, the cooperative has also linked up with many households, increasing the total area to nearly 300 hectares. People in the area often own large planting areas (1-10 hectares/household), so the linkage helps to consolidate output, enough to meet large orders.

The cooperative approaches farmers by purchasing directly, signing contracts for consumption, and at the same time providing technical support, supplying materials and guiding production in an organic and safe direction. Farmers see the obvious effectiveness, so they introduce themselves and encourage more new households to participate.

“Even when the market is difficult, the price of coconut in the West has dropped sharply, the cooperative still maintains purchasing at a stable price, accepting low profits or breaking even to maintain cohesion. There was a time when traders abandoned green coconuts, but the cooperative still stood up to buy so that farmers could feel secure in production,” Mr. Tien shared.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc - one of the first members of the cooperative, said that before joining the cooperative, he and many coconut growers were hesitant, thinking that coconut trees without chemical fertilizers would be difficult to develop or worried that when signing a joint contract, the company would force down the price. However, by sticking with the cooperative, they realized that in addition to purchasing, the cooperative also provides quality organic fertilizers, purchased directly from the factory at preferential prices thanks to collective contracts, much cheaper than buying through agents.

Currently, the cooperative has linked up with enterprises in Vinh Long to inspect and certify the area meeting organic standards, paving the way for fresh coconuts to be purchased at a price 5% higher than the market price and exported to China.

The story of organic coconuts in Tay Ninh shows that when knowing how to take advantage of existing advantages, combine science with experience, and maintain the passion in production, even the land of "sunscorching" can create a high-value agricultural model. This is not only a new path for coconut trees but also opens up opportunities for clean and sustainable agricultural development for Tay Ninh in the future./.

By Staffs - Translated by Q. Thien

Source: https://baolongan.vn/phat-trien-vung-trong-dua-huu-co-tai-tay-ninh-trien-vong-tu-mo-hinh-hop-tac-xa-dua-huu-co-bai-2--a202262.html